Adjustable scaffold.



PATENTED OCT.- 3, 1905.

M. KING.

ADJUSTABLE SGAPFOLD.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 29,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED OCT. 3, 1905. M. KING.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W UH mN m6 ADJUSTABLE SGAFFOLD.

APPLIUATION nun mun 29.1905.

wi/limooeo MONROE KING, OF PRINCETON, INDIANA.

ADJUSTABLE SCAFFOLD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1905.

Application filed June 29,1905. Serial No. 267,629.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MONROE KING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Princeton, in the county of Gibson and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Scafi'olds; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in adjustable scaffolds; and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of devices hereinafter shown and described.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, durable, and eflicient scaffold which may be readily adjusted vertically to vary its height or extended laterally to increase or decrease its length and which when not in use may be folded to permit it to pass through narrow doorways or taken apart to permit it to be stored in a small space.

The above and other objects, which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, are accomplished by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved adjustable scaffold, the inner sliding frame of the same being partially elevated. Fig. 2 is an end elevation with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 3 3 in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the scaffold in its folded position.

Referring to the drawings by numeral, 1 denotes my improved adjustable scaffold, which comprises an outer stationary frame 2 and an inner vertically-slidable frame 3. The frame 2 consists of two end sections connected by upper and lower side bars 5, which have their ends detachably pivoted to said end section. Each of the latter consists of two corner-posts, which are connected by parallel cross-bars 7, secured upon the opposite sides of the posts, so that the sliding inner frame 3 passes between them. The detachable pivotal connection between the side bars 5 and the end sections is preferably effected by providing upon the corner-posts eyes 8, which are adapted to receive downturned hooks 9,formed upon plates 10, which are secured upon the upper and lower faces of the ends of the side bars 5, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. By constructing the frame 2 in this manner it will be seen that the same may be folded or collapsed, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, so that the scaffold may be passed through a narrow space, and it will be also noted that said frame may be taken apart by disengaging the hooks 9 from the eyes 10. The inner sliding frame 3 is also foldable and is constructed similar to the outer frame 2. This inner frame 3 consists of two end sections connected by side bars 12, which have their ends detachably pivoted similar tothe side bars 5. The end sections of the frame 3 each consist of corner-posts connected at their lower ends by a cross-beam 1 1 and at their upper ends by a cross-beam 15, which latter is also connected to the corner-posts by diagonal braces 16. The corner-posts slide between the outer posts, and in order to reduce friction and guide the sliding inner frame vertically I provide upon the opposing inner faces of said posts wear-plates 17 and 18. The plates 17 are secured upon the posts 6 and are formed with centrally disposed longitudi nally-extending tongues, which are adapted to enter similarly-arranged grooves formed in the plates 18, which are secured upon the posts 13. These metallic plates not only reduce friction and Wear, but guide the inner frame in its vertical movement.

In order to raise and lower the inner frame 3, I attach to the cross-bars 14E of said frames the lower ends of cables or other flexible connections 19, the opposite ends of which are wound upondrums 20, which are secured upon a longitudinally -extending shaft 21. This shaft is removably journaled in the upper cross-bars 7 of the end sections of the outer frame 2, preferably by providing in said bars 7 alining semicircular-shaped recesses 22 to receive said shaft and by providing upon the outermost bars 7 pivoted books 23, which are adapted to retain said shaft in said bearingrecesses 22. Two of said hooks 23 are provided at each end of the frame and are pivoted, as shown at 24, upon opposite sides of the shaft, so that said hooks cross each other, as shown. A crank-handle 26 or any other suitable means may be provided upon the shaft 21 for the purpose of rotating the same to wind or unwind the cables upon the drums. By mounting the shaft 21 in this manner it will be seen that the same may be quickly removed when it is desired to fold the inner and outer frames, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

Any desired means may be provided for securing the inner frame 3 in an adjusted posi- IIO tion within the outer frame 2; but I preferably provide in each of the posts 6 apertures 27 to receive locking pins or keys 28. The latter are adapted to enter one of a verticallyarranged series of openings 29, formed in the posts 13 of the inner frame 3. These locking-pins 28 are preferably attached to the posts by short chains or other flexible connections 30, so as to prevent them from being lost or misplaced.

In order to lengthen the scaffold, I may provide at one or both of the ends of the inner sliding frame 3 folding brackets. The latter consist of longitudinally-extending bars 32, which are hinged at their inner ends, as shown at 33, to the upper ends of the end sections 11 of the inner frame 3 and connected at their outer ends by a transversely-extending bar 34:. This bracket, formed by the bars 32 and 3A, is adapted to be supported in a horizontal position in the plane of the top of the inner frame 3 by diagonal braces 35, which have their upper ends hingedly connected to the bars 32, as shown at 36, and their lower ends beveled so as to seat in recesses 37, formed in the outer faces of the posts 13, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. WVhen the scaffold is not in use, these brackets 31 may be folded downwardly against the scaffold, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The construction, use, and advantages of the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. hen the scaffold is set up for use, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings, it will be seen that the inner sliding section, upon the top of which a platform of any description may be supported, may be quickly adjusted vertically by turning the crank of the shaft 21 and that it may be retained in said adjusted position by means of the locking-pins 28. When in this position, the length of the scaffold may be varied by raising or lowering the end brackets 31, as will be readily understood. When it is desired to move the scaffold from one room to another, it will be seen that it may be quickly folded or collapsed to the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings by removing the shaft 21 from its bearings. By disconnecting the side bars 5 and 12 of the inner and outer frames it will be seen that the scaffold may be quickly taken apart to permit it to be stored away in a comparatively small space.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction herein set forth, since various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A scafi'old comprising an outer stationary frame consisting of end sections having connected corner-posts and of side bars pivotally connected at their ends to said cornerposts, a foldable inner frame slidably mounted in said outer frame, means for raising and lowering said inner frame, and means for holding said inner frame in an adjusted position, substantially as described.

2. A scaffold comprising an outer stationary frame consisting of end sections having connected corner-posts and of side bars pivotally connected at their ends to said cornerposts, an inner frame slidably mounted in said outer frame and consisting of end sections united by pivotally-connected side bars, a shaft removably journaled upon the end sections of said outer frame, flexible connections wound about said shaft and attached to said sliding inner frame, means for rotating said shaft and means for holding said sliding inner frame in an adjusted position, substantially as described.

3. A scaffold comprising an outer stationary frame consisting of end sections having connected corner-posts and of side bars pivotally connected at their ends to said cornerposts, an inner frame slidablymounted in said outer frame and consisting of end sections united by pivotally-connected side bars, a longitudinally-extending shaft seated in bearingrecesses formed in the end sections of said outer frame, pivoted hooks for retaining said shaft in said bearing-recesses, drums upon said shaft, flexible connections wound upon said drums and attached to said sliding inner frame, a crank-handle for rotating said shaft and locking-pins slidable in openings formed in the corner-posts of said outer frame and adapted to enter apertures formed in the end sections of said inner sliding frame, substantially as described.

4. A scaffold comprising an'outer stationary frame consisting of end sections and side bars, a detachable hook-and-eye connection for pivotally connecting the ends of said side bars to said end sections, an inner frame slidable in said outer frame and consisting of end sections and side bars, a detachable hook-andeye connection for pivotally connecting the latter-mentioned side bars to the latter-mentioned end sections, means for raising and lowering said inner frame within the outer one and means for holding said inner frame in an adjusted position, substantially as described.

5. A scaffold comprising an outer stationary frame consisting of end sections and side bars, a detachable hook-and-eye connection for pivotally connecting the ends of said side bars to said end sections, an inner frame slidable in said outer frame and consisting of end openings formed in said outer and said inner sections and side bars, a detachable hook-andframes, substantially as described. eye connection for pivotally connecting the In testimony whereof I have hereunto set latter-mentioned side bars to the latter-menmy hand in presence of tWo subscribing Wit- 5 tioned end sections, folding brackets at the nesses.

ends of said inner sliding frame, a removably- MONROE KING. mounted shaft upon said outer frame, flexible connections between said shaft and said inner Witnesses: frame, means for rotating said shaft, and lock- HUGH HANNA,

IO ing-pins adapted to be passed through alining J. R. MCCOY. 

